- impacts of creosote soaked chips stored in the downtown core
- contaminated smoke from smouldering chips piles at Capital Power Plant
- emissions from the burning of creosote chips in the Capital Power Plant
CN Rail has been off-loading, storing and chipping rail ties at this site for a number of years on land leased from BC Rail Properties, with the chips transported to Capital Power for incineration . In recent weeks and months, the volume of both ties and chips has grown exponentially, to the point where piles now cover the entire surface of the site. Upon speaking with Capital Power, the co-generation plant has accumulated a significant inventory of chips due to a projected reduction in sawmill production which didn't completely materialize and an increase of chips from other sources in order to compensate for the projected decline in sawmill volumes. At the same time, it appears that CN began increasing their volume of rail ties coming into Williams Lake for disposal. Unfortunately Capital Power was unable to accommodate a corresponding increase in volume from CN Rail.
In response to growing complaints from the community, Capital Power discontinued accepting rail tie chips from CN Rail last week. This in spite of the fact that their emissions permit from the Ministry of Environment allows for the combustion of rail ties. The City investigated the storage of ties and chips below Oliver Street and identified non-compliance with the BC Fire Code resulting from storage of wood products in proximity to forest and grass.
The City has been in communication with CN Rail and BC Rail Properties on the matter and as a result, BC Rail is in the process of cancelling CN Rail's lease. CN Rail advises they are planning to relocate their operation with no indication of where or when. In the meantime, the City is pursuing an order from the Fire Commissioner's office to address the improper storage or wood materials.
The City will be monitoring the situation closely in the coming weeks to ensure the chips and ties are removed as soon as possible to prevent the risk of fire and associated health and environmental impacts.
Finally something is been done. I am shocked it took so long for the city to wakeup! I emailed months ago to the City Council and Mayor about this situation. No response back whatsoever from any of them. I did get a response back from Wayne Clarke, Williams Lake Plant Manager,Capital Power Corporation. I did not email him. Someone forwarded my email to him.
ReplyDeleteThere is something that the City, Fire Dept, Media and residents don't seem to know. The chips and ties are not just creosote. CN treated ties with Pentachlorophenol (PCP. Capital Powers permit allows them to burn wood waste treated with Pentachlorophenol (PCP) which is just shocking. When Penta is burned it releases some very harmful stuff (Dioxins). Most places do not allow the incineration of wood waste containing Pentachlorophenol (PCP).
Having this chipping operation in downtown Williams on land is beyond insane. In the USA at the French Island Xcel Energy plant the tie chipping area was linked to the contamination of wells in the area. The chipped ties leach into the ground water. Creosote and Penta are oil based so they do not bind to the wood. They now have been ordered to line the chipping area with a cement foundation. All drainage must go to the treated sewer system. They are allowed no runoff to ground water or storm drains. As well the ties have to stay on the rail cars until they are chipped. No strage of ties on the site is allowed anymore.
If this was to catch fire it would be a disaster. Although PCP is not flammable, work solutions of PCP and carrier oils are flammable.
Extreme caution is to be exercised at fires
involving PCP. If solid PCP is exposed to
fire, or if combustion of PCP/oil mixtures
occurs, the PCP will decompose, creating
fumes containing hydrochloric acid and likely
dioxins. All fire residues must be considered
contaminated and must be contained for
analysis and disposal as appropriate.
These types of fires are most times left to burn, using water to extinguish them would lead even more of a mess to contend with as the water will help it leach even more pollutants.
Once CN cleans up the chips and ties the city will now be left with the liability of cleaning up this site. If you test the soil you will more than likely find the site to be considers a hazardous site.
You should know that there are still SUPERFUND SITES in the US that were sites exclusively used for chipping railroad ties, one in MN. A hazardous waste site becomes a Superfund site when it is placed on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) National Priority List (NPL) based on a scoring process that rates its current or potential health impact. The "Superfund" was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act of 1980 to clean up abandoned hazardous waste site.
Why this was ever allowed to happen should be looked into so it does not happen again. I would be very concerned on where CN plans to more this operation to. I would also get assurance form Capital power that they will no longer burn all treated wood waste, not just Creosote Treated wood.
Hmm, I see all the horrible conditions and study and research and read and wonder what to do with the mass of ties that are piled and chipped and collected annually. Really, I ask myself the most responsible way to go about it and still have no answers but I am intrigued to persue this. My thoughts, can they be chipped and pressed with a bonding agent and reshaped back into a re-useable railroad tie instead of landfill, burning or used any other way. It would take care of the waste problem, wouldn't need to cut as many trees for new ones.
ReplyDeleteAs well, I understand the ties are also shipped to china and there they are chipped and steamed and I imagine through the process you are left with clean wood chips and the separated creasote and other oil-based leftovers...maybe it could all be re-used and not burned into our lungs and brains...and maybe me profiteable...hmm, you would think the companies that produce this mess would be held accounteable, maybe they are, I find theres so much to dig into on this subject...
I have never posted anything like this before in this fashion, so I sincerely hope for a positive helpful response, and good advice.